JPH114423A - Digital television receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital television receiver, in which a flash ROM is adopted for a program ROM of the digital television receiver and a program of the flash ROM is rewritten by using a connector of an IC card capable of external connection to a bus line of a main CPU of the receiver. SOLUTION: When an IC card interface 31 of a ROM writer 30 is connected to an IC card connector 29 of the digital television receiver 34 and a start switch is depressed, an update program is given to an IC card connector 29 from a ROM connecting to the ROM writer 30 to rewrite a flash ROM, in which a control program of the digital television receiver 34 is stored. Thus, the program is easily updated without changing the hardware configuration of the digital television receiver for coping with a new function and a new service.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication satellite (CS).
The present invention relates to a digital television receiver capable of receiving digital satellite broadcasting such as broadcasting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a multi-channel digital satellite broadcasting (CS broadcasting) system using CS which has recently been started, for example, a large number of channels of 70 or more are prepared, and a large number of programs are provided. In such a broadcast, unprecedented functions, for example, guide information of a currently broadcasted program and a future broadcasted program are transmitted together with the original program data at predetermined time intervals. (Program Guide) A program can be selected and viewed based on information or the like.

In this CS broadcast, a special IC card for a viewer is purchased, the purchase history of the program is managed according to the program viewed on the IC card, and the viewing history is collected and charged via a telephone line. So-called PP that enables purchase of individual programs
A system called V (PAY PER VIEW) is adopted.

[0004] The configuration and operation of the digital television receiver for receiving the CS broadcast will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, 1 is an antenna for receiving a CS broadcast radio wave, 2 is a digital demodulation unit for receiving a CS digital signal, 3 is a disk scrambler circuit for canceling a scrambled CS digital signal, and 4 is a viewer selected. Separation for selectively receiving program data (DEM
UX) circuit, 5 is an MPEG decoder, 6 is an NTSC encoder, 7 is a main CPU for controlling each circuit, 8 is a program ROM in which a program for operating the main CPU 7 is stored, 9 is a program guide for a cathode ray tube or the like. Kanji ROM storing kanji to be displayed in
Is a modem, 11 is an IC card, 12 is an IC card connector into which the IC card is inserted, 13 is a sub CPU for issuing various commands according to control commands from a viewer, 14 is a remote control transmitter (remote controller), and 15 is a CPU. The bus line 16 is a PCM encoder.

The operation will be described below. First, video and audio from a program broadcaster are compressed using MPEG to compress the video and audio. If the program is a pay broadcast program, it is multiplexed, scrambled and QPSK modulated, and the broadcast signal is transmitted from a communication satellite. It is transmitted as a CS broadcast signal. Each viewer,
The CS broadcast signal is received by the antenna 1, demodulated by QPSK demodulation by the digital demodulation unit 2, error-corrected, and input to the descrambler circuit 3. In the descrambler circuit 3, the viewer looks at the program guide transmitted as data, selects a desired program from the remote controller 14, gives a command from the sub CPU 13 to the main CPU 7, and the main CPU 7 uses the IC card 11 to release a descrambling key. The generated program is descrambled by the descrambler circuit 3, and the program selected by the DMUX circuit 4 is separated.

[0006] Then, the video is converted into a digital component signal by the MPEG decoder 5, and the audio is expanded to a serial digital signal and output. The video is converted to an analog signal by the NTSC encoder 6 and the audio is converted to an analog signal by the PCM encoder 16, and the program can be viewed on a monitor such as a television receiver (not shown).

On the other hand, the charging information of the program selected by the viewer is stored in the IC card 11 in accordance with a command from the main CPU 7, and the charging information is transmitted as data to a viewing management center or the like via the modem 10. Also, the modem 10 transmits data such as a voting operation in a viewer participation program.

[0008] The storage of billing information of such an IC card,
Alternatively, the main CPU 7 operates based on a program ROM 8 which stores a program for taking in and displaying program guide data, controlling a descrambler circuit, and the like.

[0009] Such CS broadcasting systems and digital television receivers are described in, for example, the 60th issue of the September 1996 issue of a magazine published by Ohmsha.
"Special Feature: New Era of Digital Broadcasting", pp. 95
Technical Report of the Institute of Television Engineers of Japan on November 15, 2006: CE'96-
16 (Nov, 1996), Vol.
S digital broadcast receiving tuner ".

By the way, in such a digital television receiver, a program ROM is generally used which cannot be erased after being written.

For this reason, the contents of the broadcasting service and the broadcasting data are different for each CS broadcasting service company.
There is a problem that it is impossible to update the digital television receiver that the user currently owns in response to the update of the CS broadcasting service.

[0012]

According to the present invention, the program ROM of the digital television receiver is replaced with an electrically rewritable ROM (flash ROM), and the rewriting is performed between the bus line of the main CPU of the receiver and the outside. It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital television receiver in which a program in a flash ROM can be rewritten using a connector of an IC card which can be connected.

[0013]

According to the present invention, there is provided a digital television signal receiving section for receiving a digital television signal, an IC card for holding data unique to a viewer, and an IC card into which the IC card is inserted. A digital television receiver comprising an IC card connector, a control unit for controlling the receiving unit based on the data of the IC card, and a ROM for storing a program for executing the control of the control unit. And wherein the ROM is an electrically rewritable ROM.

The present invention is also a digital television receiver characterized in that the program in the ROM can be rewritten via the IC card connector.

Further, the present invention provides a ROM rewriting device comprising an IC card interface inserted into the IC card connector, and a rewrite control unit for retrieving a program for updating and rewriting the program via the IC card interface. A digital television receiver characterized by rewriting a program in the ROM.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a ROM writer that rewrites a program in a program ROM, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the ROM writer is connected to a digital television receiver.

First, the structure of the digital television receiver will be described. The structure is the same as the block diagram shown in FIG.
The configuration 8 uses an electrically rewritable flash ROM.

The program ROM 8 stores the CP
Focusing on the connection to the IC card connector 12 via the U bus line 15, a ROM writer was connected to the IC card connector 12 to rewrite the program ROM 8.

Next, the configuration of the ROM writer will be described. In FIG. 1, 28 is a CPU for a ROM writer, and 17 is a CPU.
28 is a program ROM, 19 is an EPROM interface for inputting / outputting data from an EPROM (not shown) in which update data is held, and 20 is an EPROM interface.
A socket into which a ROM is inserted; 21 a liquid crystal panel interface for display input / output data to the liquid crystal panel;
Is a liquid crystal panel, 18 is an IC card connector 12 and C
An IC card interface with the PU 28, 26 is an RS232C interface for input / output of RS232C, 27 is a bus line, 23 is a start SW for operating a ROM writer, and 24 is an LE for displaying an operation state.
D and 25 are dip switches for designating an operation mode.

With the ROM writer configured as described above, the program RO of the digital television broadcast receiver is used.
When renewing M8 and dating up, the following is performed. The IC card interface 18 of the ROM writer 30 is inserted into the IC card insertion slot 29 of the digital television receiver 34 having the cathode ray tube 35. As a result, the program ROM is connected via the IC card connector 12.
The CPU 28 is connected to the IC card interface 8 via the connection line 32 from the IC card interface 18.

The ROM writer 30 is provided with a liquid crystal panel 22, LEDs 24, or various operation switches 33 (switches such as a start switch 23 and a dip switch 25).

Next, program RO by ROM writer
The rewriting operation of M8 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the IC card interface 18 of the ROM writer 30 is inserted into the IC card connector 12 of the digital television receiver. Next, after turning on the power of the ROM writer, the power of the digital television receiver is turned on. The program to be rewritten is an EPROM inserted into the EPROM socket 20.
(Not shown).

The IC card 11 and the ROM writer 30
The following configuration is used to determine the state. That is,
Whereas the IC card 11 has eight terminals,
The ROM writer 30 constitutes the IC card interface 18 with nine terminals. The eight terminals are arranged at the same position as the IC card 11, but the remaining one terminal is provided extra. . .

As a result, the IC card connector 12 is
When the IC card 11 is connected, the ninth connection point between the IC card 11 and the IC card connector 12 is in an open state, so that the “H” level is set. Becomes

On the other hand, when the ROM writer 30 is connected,
Ninth terminal of IC card interface 18 and IC
The ninth connection point of the card connector 12 is connected. Since the ninth terminal of the IC card interface 18 is connected to the ground on the ROM writer 30 side, the ninth terminal is at "L" level.

The state of the ninth connection point is indicated by the main CPU
7 detects which of the IC card 11 and the ROM writer 30 is connected. Therefore, when the ROM writer 30 is connected, the main CPU 7 executes the program RO.
The mode is for rewriting M8.

Next, when starting the rewriting operation, the start switch 23 is turned on. Then, the main CPU
7 to determine whether or not a clock has been input (S
1) If the input is detected, the data transfer speed setting from the ROM writer and the data link are set to 2
It is established within seconds (S2). The start switch 23
Is turned on to start the operation.
A configuration in which a series of operations from insertion of the interface 18 are automatically started by making the operations in order may be adopted. That is, insert the IC card interface 18 → R
If the power of the OM writer 30 is turned on → the power of the digital television receiver is turned on, the clock can be automatically output from the main CPU 7 to the ROM writer 30 by starting the operation.

Then, the EPROM data of the ROM writer is sent to the CPU 28 via the bus line 27 and transferred to the main CPU 7 via the IC card interface 18. At this time, data is transferred for each sector (S
3) If the main CPU 7 determines that one sector has been sent, the program ROM 8
Is erased (S4). When the erasing of the program ROM 8 is completed, a command is sent to write the data of the transferred sector to the erased sector of the program ROM 8 and writing is started (S5).

This operation is performed for each sector. When the writing of all the sectors is completed (S6), it is confirmed whether or not the writing is completed, and the process is terminated (S7). In this operation, for example, the operation state can be displayed on the liquid crystal panel 22 or the like, and the user can recognize the operation state by blinking the LED 24. Thus, the program can be rewritten.

Next, a case where a program is partially changed or updated will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. The operation is basically the same as the operation of the flowchart in FIG. First, when starting the rewriting operation, the start switch 23 is turned on. Then, it is confirmed whether or not a clock has been input from the main CPU 7 (S8). If the input is detected, a data transfer speed setting from the ROM writer and a data link are established within 2 seconds from the detection of the clock (S8). S9).

Then, the EPROM data of the ROM writer is sent to the CPU 28 via the bus line 27 and transferred to the main CPU 7 via the IC card interface 18. At this time, the data is transferred for each sector. In this case, the sector to be rewritten by the program is specified and the data is transmitted (S10). When the main CPU 7 determines that the data of the designated sector has been transmitted, the program ROM 8 is erased by the designated sector (S1).
1). When the erase of the program ROM 8 is completed, the data of the transferred sector is
Then, a command is sent to write to the erased sector of No. 8 and writing is started (S12). When the writing of the specified sector is completed (S13), it is confirmed whether or not the writing is completed, and the process is terminated (S14). By doing so, only the designated sector can be rewritten.

[0033]

According to the present invention, since the program ROM is an electrically rewritable flash ROM, the contents of the program ROM can be rewritten from the outside via the connector of the IC card, so that new functions and new services can be supported. The update can be performed easily without changing the hardware configuration of the digital television receiver.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a ROM writer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a ROM for a digital television receiver of the present invention.
Drawing when a writer is connected.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a ROM rewriting operation of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of partially rewriting the ROM of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a digital television receiver.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 22 liquid crystal panel 24 LED 29 IC card slot 30 ROM writer 31 IC card interface 32 connection line 33 switch 34 digital television receiver 35 cathode ray tube

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A digital television signal receiving unit for receiving a digital television signal, an IC card holding data unique to a viewer, an IC card connector into which the IC card is inserted, and the IC A digital television receiver comprising: a control unit for controlling the receiving unit based on data of a card; and a ROM for storing a program for executing control of the control unit. A digital television receiver, which is a rewritable ROM. 2. The digital television receiver according to claim 1, wherein a program in said ROM is rewritable via said IC card connector. 3. The digital television receiver according to claim 2, wherein an IC card interface inserted into said IC card connector, and a rewriting program for retrieving an update program and rewriting the acquired program via said IC card interface. R with control unit
A digital television receiver, wherein an OM rewriting device rewrites the program in the ROM.